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Just to be clear, they will both be tucked away live on the UK's third most watched TV channel, which is more than can be claimed by any other domestic cup except for one of the FA Cup semi-finals which is on ITV.

We have had these games on BBC1 previously. Putting games on BBC will adversely affect viewing figures.

If we have made the decision that we want to keep this tournament on terrestrial TV, we should be looking for maximum exposure.

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How big does a team need to be before it should be allowed a proper neutral venue its supporters can get to?

anything bigger than London would be the answer methinks. If a championship club from Yorkshire,for example,had bluffed their way through to the Semi's and they put them against Wigan at Leigh there would be open insurrection ;-)

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3 hours is highly optimistic for most of London's fans and if any of the 12 northern SL clubs fans were asked to travel over 3 hours to a semi they'd be spitting feathers. Then add to the fun by putting it a few miles away from the team they're playing and woof!

Anyway, I suppose it's all academic as I expect Wiggin to do Widnes and then tear the Broncos a new one wherever they play. But still, poor form.

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3 hours is highly optimistic for most of London's fans and if any of the 12 northern SL clubs fans were asked to travel over 3 hours to a semi they'd be spitting feathers. Then add to the fun by putting it a few miles away from the team they're playing and woof!

Anyway, I suppose it's all academic as I expect Wiggin to do Widnes and then tear the Broncos a new one wherever they play. But still, poor form.

It is, but do you look to cater for 500 fans of one club, or 6-7k of another club?

It's okay anyway, I clicked the train button on Google and that ups the time to just shy of 7hrs!

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Whilst I don't think the Leigh choice is right, making things up weaken your argument.

1 - The venue will be big enough for this game.

Look at Wigan's last semi finals - Against Saints (2011) there were empty seats at the HJ with a crowd of 12.7k.

Against Leeds (2012) there were 12.8k - two of the biggest teams in the game.

Against Wire (2010) - there were empty seats and Wire sold some of Wigan's allocation.

2 - It's not 5hrs from London. Looking at Google shows that from the Stoop to LSV it is 3hrs 15. It is pretty quick if you use public transport too.

Like I say, I don;t like the choice, but don;t weaken your own argument.

Thanks Dave but I think it's bigger than quoting stats. If you are a London fan you are going to be totally hacked off.

We want you London fans to be part of things but if you want to safely make kick off time leave just after breakfast and you might just be home by bed time. It will cost you a lot of money in fuel, train tickets etc but that's what you get for being outside the M62 corridor. You should have thought of that.

On the bright side after your drive through 7 different cointies you could save money on parking & build inter club relations by asking a Wigan fan if you can park in their driveway and then walk to the ground with them.

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I realise that getting the most people through the gates is the notion and this is the one that will do that but surely a semi final venue should be 'neutral'. This isnt and the only reason it's not a massive deal is that it's crappy little London who nearly nobody gives two hoots about. As I said before as it doesnt matter how far it is from Club A & Club B then they should have stuck it in a small ground in London, handed it over to the 'Big Hit' crowd and put some bums on seats.

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In football terms it's like a Man U v Fulham FA cup semi being played at Preston - no disrespect to Leigh or Preston

The difference is that it would practically sell out, regardless of the venue. The RFL have tried to tempt supporters to the semis before by using smaller venues, thinking it would be over subscribed. It didn't work then and won't now.

This is why the reasons given for RL fans not attending are bunkum.

Two big teams? Not sold out because 'people are fed up of the same old faces'.

Two smaller teams? Not sold out because 'they will get hammered and have no fans'

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I realise that getting the most people through the gates is the notion and this is the one that will do that but surely a semi final venue should be 'neutral'. This isnt and the only reason it's not a massive deal is that it's crappy little London who nearly nobody gives two hoots about. As I said before as it doesnt matter how far it is from Club A & Club B then they should have stuck it in a small ground in London, handed it over to the 'Big Hit' crowd and put some bums on seats.

The 'Big Hit' crowd won't come cheaply.

It is a neutral ground, neither Wigan or London normally play there, although I do think it gives an unfair advantage.

People do give two hoots, I haven;t seen anybody claim it's a good choice, however the reason for it is that London are a basket case of a club and can't get a crowd to turn up so it could be very embarassing if it was played in London.

Even Warrington would have been a far better choice as it is on the West Coast line and is at least out of the Borough of Wigan!

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It is a neutral ground, neither Wigan or London normally play there, although I do think it gives an unfair advantage.

People do give two hoots, I haven;t seen anybody claim it's a good choice, however the reason for it is that London are a basket case of a club and can't get a crowd to turn up so it could be very embarassing if it was played in London.

Even Warrington would have been a far better choice as it is on the West Coast line and is at least out of the Borough of Wigan!

London were less of a basket-case of a club when the same thing happened in 1999. This is how the RFL always seem to work and it's depressing to see it in action again.

There are any number of LSV-sized venues which would have been actually neutral and better for access.

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If we have made the decision that we want to keep this tournament on terrestrial TV, we should be looking for maximum exposure.

Just to be clear, I never realised the game was in such a position to make demands. In which case I am sorry for suggesting that being on the third most watched channel, and something only one other equivalent competition can claim, is a good thing. We should tell the BBC we would rather not be televised at all than appear on a channel beneath us.

I now also understand why people are suggesting the London v Widnes/Wigan semi final should be played at a venue like Walsall, were the cost more to hire it could end up being higher than the revenue we could earn.

It also explains why the Leigh Sports Village (a poor location regardless) is too small. Between them Wigan and Leeds could only attract just under 13,000 at Huddersfield. But replace Leeds with London, and potentially Wigan with Widnes, and the higher standard of those matches there is no chance the attendance could be 2,000 lower than one between the two best supported teams in the game, which would be enough to sell out the LSV.